Just over 57 per cent of the 1,404 respondents in the firm’s automated telephone survey, conducted between May 6-7, voiced disapproval of mandating the use of a tracking app, with that number higher among men (60.3 per cent), people between the ages of 18-34 (66.1), B.C. residents (68), Albertans (65.5), those in the Prairies (59.3) and Quebeckers (63.7). Disapproval of a mandated tracking app is also higher (60.7) among respondents with school-aged children.

The margin of error for the overall poll is plus or minus 2.6 percentage points at the 95 per cent confidence level. However, it’s worth noting that the margins of error are higher in the subsamples because of their smaller size.

While support for a mandated tracking app is higher than the national average among women (45.4 per cent), respondents between 35-49 year olds (43.6), those between 50-64 years old (46.8), people 65 or older (47.6) and Atlantic Canada residents (49.3), it only reaches a majority (or even a plurality) in Ontario (51.6) and those making $100,000 or plus a year (52.1).

All other possible restrictions to stem the spread of COVID-19 won broad support in the poll: Working from home while others return (79.2 per cent), being required to wear a mask at work (80.2), mandatory temperature-readings before before entering a workplace (75.5), staying two metres apart at work (83.1) and being required to wear a mask on public transit (75.6).

Meanwhile, in a canvass of political views, 43.3 per cent of decided and leaning respondents in the poll said they would vote for the federal Liberals if an election was today, compared to 29.4 who would opt for the Conservatives. Furthermore, 11.5 per cent said they would back the NDP, while 5.9 opted for the Greens, slightly more than the 5.8 who are in favour of the Bloc Québécois.

Support for the Liberals is highest in the Atlantic provinces (56.6 per cent), Ontario (51.3) and Quebec (49.7), while the governing party’s worst showings are in Alberta (21.4 per cent), B.C. (27.9) and the Prairies (29.7). The Conservatives are ahead in Alberta and the Prairies by wide margins, grabbing the support of 58.8 and 47 per cent of respondents, respectively, and more modestly in B.C. at 34.9 per cent. The Greens fare the best in B.C., drawing the support of 12.1 of per cent of respondents. The party narrowly trails the NDP in the province, which gleaned 16.3 per cent support. The NDP’s best showing is in the Prairies region at 19.9 per cent.

There is also a striking gender gap between the two most popular parties. While the Liberals and Conservatives are statistically tied among men, the Liberals lead the Conservatives by nearly 30 points among women.

An earlier Mainstreet poll from late March, after the COVID-19 pandemic induced broad shutdowns in Canada, found that 39 per cent of leaning and decided voters said they would vote for the Liberals, compared to 43.3 per cent in the latest survey.

When broken down by province, support for Liberals was at the time the highest in the Atlantic at 54.2 per cent, followed by Ontario at 51.2 per cent, 33.1 per cent in B.C., 27.5 per cent in the Prairies and 24.8 per cent in Alberta — the latter two both being regions where the Liberals hold no seats. Support for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s party, though, stood at 26.5 per cent in Quebec.

The Bloc Québécois held first place in Quebec at the time of that poll, drawing the support of 37.6 per cent of respondents. The Conservatives were in third place in the province with 21.2 per cent of support, while the NDP was far behind in fourth at 8.1 per cent.

Overall support for the Conservatives from leaning and decided voters stood at 32 per cent in late March, with the NDP trailing at 11 per cent, followed by the Bloc Québécois at nine per cent, the Green Party at six per cent, and the People’s Party of Canada and “another party” both tied at two per cent.